USDA Resources for Community Colleges. Suresh Sureshwaran

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1 USDA Resources for Community Colleges By Suresh Sureshwaran

2 What Keeps NIFA Awake at night??

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4 Nation Does Not Produce Enough Graduates to Fill the 58,000 Annual Openings in FANH

5 Missed Opportunities of Partnering with Community Colleges Until Recently Community colleges enroll 45% of all undergraduate students in the USA, 51% of minority undergraduate students, as well as 36% of first generation college students. Many Community Colleges don t offer courses in agriculture and teachers don t have training in FANH disciplines. Recruiting students at Community Colleges for higher studies and /or careers in FANH disciplines is a challenge. We need to work in partnership with Community Colleges to ensure that the nation has the workforce it needs.

6 Perception of Agriculture as Farming is No Longer Correct

7 So, What is USDA Doing to Address this Shortage of Skilled Workforce?

8 NIFA ARS NASS ERS FSA FSIS FNS APHIS RD FS NRCS USDA s Education Portfolio Spans Across Several Agencies COMMON THEMES Learning and Engagement Trainings and Education Internships Capacity Building Educational Campaigns and Outreach

9 NIFA USDA s principal extramural scientific Research, Education and Extension agency

10 NIFA FUNDS THREE ACTIVITIES Research: to develop the knowledge to address national challenges Education: to strengthen schools and universities to train the next generation of scientists, educators, producers, and citizens Extension: to bring knowledge gained through research and education to the public

11 Division of Community & Education: Foster partnerships & collaborative initiatives with an educational focus. Stronger partnerships with K-14 Schools. Enhance Minority-Serving Institutions & Underrepresented Students. Increase the number, quality, and diversity of the next generation of food and agriculture scientists and practitioners.

12 DOCE Fiscal Year 2015 Snapshot: Workforce Development Development of the agricultural workforce through scholarship and fellowship opportunities to undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students. $17 M appropriation. 4 Programs. 113 awards Learning and Engagement Supports leading-edge training and learning opportunities for students which will help them develop novel and specialized skills for future success. These investments include experiential learning opportunities, teacher training, curriculum development and methods in recruitment and retention of students. $10 M, 4 Programs. 37 awards Capacity Building for Minority Serving Institutions Capacity building at Minority Serving Institutions facilitates access to higher education, research, teaching and extension for students and communities served by MSIs. $175 M. 15 Programs. 330 awards

13 Education Grants - Funding Strategies Curriculum Development, Instructional Delivery Systems and Expanding Student Career Opportunities Increasing Faculty Teaching Competencies Facilitating Institutional Collaborations

14 Education Grants - Examples There is no program targeted for internationalization. Primary beneficiary has to be US agriculture and taxpayer. BUT, global experiences and internationalization is encouraged through: Curriculum development Experiential learning for students Preparing Community College teachers to incorporate local and international agricultural concepts into their STEM classes (summer fellowships) Several programs support the 100,000 initiatives.

15 Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA) Eligible Applicants: public secondary schools public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges institutions of higher education nonprofit organizations Purpose: Increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a 2- or 4-year degree in FANH fields. SPECA Enhance the quality of K-14 instruction to meet the current and future need for discovery in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences (FANH)

16 SPECA Grant Types Conference/Planning Proposal: Up to $25,000 Facilitate strategic planning session(s) required of faculty, industry, professional association, community leaders, or other necessary participants. Goal is to develop a formal plan leading to a subsequent submission of a Joint or Large-scale (state or region) comprehensive initiatives (LCI) project proposal. Regular Project Proposal: Up to $50,000 Applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners. Joint Project Proposal: Up to $150,000 Applicant executes the project with assistance from at least one additional partner. The partners must share grant funds. Large-scale Comprehensive Initiatives: Up to $300,000 At least two additional partners. The partners must share grant funds.

17 SPECA Project Examples Ellsworth Community College: Advanced Integration of Precision Agriculture Activities and Demonstrations into Secondary Curriculum Using a Mobile Lab Model and Creation of Precision Agriculture Center For Knowledge and Skills (Regular Project) Expanded the school s Mobile Precision Ag Lab to include Unmanned Aircraft Systems and highly advanced planter technologies. These technologies have built upon their current grades 9 through 12 precision agriculture curriculum with more onsite, hands-on activities and demonstrations. Funds are being used to create a Center for Knowledge and Skills which will develop a creative learning environment to enhance grade 9-14 student education and establish relationships with potential employers.

18 AFRI Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers and Educational Professionals (PD-STEP) Objective: Provide immersive learning experiences in nonformal educational programs for secondary school educators, enabling them to identify and replicate best practices to enhance student outcomes in the food, agricultural, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences. Launched in FY 16. Maybe expanded to Community Colleges in FY 2017 Eligible Applicants (criteria in FY 2016): 4-year Colleges and Universities 2 & 4-year 1994 Land-Grant Institutions 2 & 4-year Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

19 AFRI PD-STEP: Potential Projects Develop self-sustaining models for professional development that better prepare education professionals to provide outstanding teaching, guidance, institutional structures, etc. that enhance student outcomes in FANH sciences. Example: Training program for administrators examining cutting edge research on course organization and scheduling and the value of service learning Result: Courses are better aligned; teachers have time to provide handson training in the Ag-related STEM fields that are in-demand; and students now work with local / international partners to use the skills they learn in the classroom to benefit US taxpayers.

20 AFRI PD-STEP: Potential Projects Changing instructional approaches to effectively identify skill gaps and address conceptual areas particularly challenging to students. Example: A majority of the high school students in an area need to take remedial math and English their first year in college. Develop a project in partnership with University Professors in the area to work with Community College teachers on how to enhance student outcomes in math and English through Agricultural experiments and writing assignments.

21 AFRI PD-STEP: Potential Projects Integrating innovations in science and pedagogy into existing teacher professional development programs (e.g. through hands-on research/extension experiences for teachers with partner institutions and labs). Example: Many Community Colleges do not have partnerships with Land-Grant Universities and USDA Laboratories. Community Colleges teachers are not exposed to cutting edge research methods and research results. Project: Training for educators on: o Cutting-edge research on FANH disciplines. o Access to FANH Laboratories in local communities o Greater exposure to national and international innovations in science and pedagogy.

22 THANK YOU & QUESTIONS? Suresh Sureshwaran Director, Division of Community and Education USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture